﻿Your workday takes up so much of your time.Why would you want to spend your life on something you don't care about, often with people you anti-care about?

Here is a six-step program for finding the career that makes your heart sing, or at least the one that has you facing each workday with a smile.

﻿﻿﻿﻿1.UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR WORRY IS NORMAL

It's a big choice, with tons of possibilities. Cozy up to your doubts by cutting yourself the slack you need so you can do something about it. The worst thing you can do is nothing, only to drift into a life you don't want.

2. Know yourself.

It's corny but true. Most of us lack a calling — we don't hear a voice calling us to our careers. Make a list of everything you've ever enjoyed doing or making. Anything. In the chaos of your list, there's bound to be what you're looking for somewhere. You'll find it in the next step.

3. Think a lot.

It may take you hours, days, weeks, or months to sort through your list. Be patient with yourself. You have a lifetime of old thinking to un-think. And you're worth it. The other option is feeling stupid and trapped in a pointless gig.

﻿﻿4. Try something

It's probably impossible to totally imagine what will actually happen when your idea collides with the real world, so try out your new vocation. Don't quit your current job. Just make time to volunteer or intern. Or take on a side project or two.﻿5. Reflect on what makes people unhappy.﻿

Every successful product solves a problem someone's having, and you need something unique to offer, so take some time to think about what drives people bats. Especially what exasperates the person you hope will give you a chance. It'll exercise your entrepreneurial brain.

6. Be confident.Another clichéd truism. But often the only thing that separates successful people from everyone else is that they dared to really imagine themselves as what they wanted to be.﻿

One of the most important skills you will need to develop in your career is networking. The good thing is if you have ever spoken to someone then you have already done it! Networking is basically finding out and offering information. And as you know from your daily life if you are friendly and helpful people are generally the same back! Find out more about how networking can help you in your career here https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/howtofindajob/Pages/networking.aspx

Interested in working your way up from the bottom in photography? Good for you, this is the best way to create your own inroad into a very competitive industry.

So I'm guessing that you are not that photographer and that you are reading this because you already know that getting experience is the most practical route to go down. So how can you go about getting some?

Here are some tips:

Be selective about who you target. It should be someone who's work you genuinely admire as then you will be able to display your knowledge of their images and why you think you might be a good fit.

Time it well. Don't contact anyone first thing on a Monday morning or last thing on a Friday afternoon. Nobody really wants to deal with anything above and beyond what needs to happen at either of these times and you will be far down anyone's priority list. If the person you approaching is successful then they will be busy.

Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Think what's in it for them? They won't be sitting there thinking I wish there was someone here asking me loads of questions and learning how I do everything so that they can set up in competition against me.What do you really have to offer? What skill sets do you bring that will actually improve that photographer's life? You need to sell yourself as someone that will benefit them. I'm sorry to tell you that most photographers don't need help with the shooting side of things as much as the admin side. It's more likely that you will be filing and making tea rather than getting your hands on all their expensive gear.

Show your personality. Don't be afraid to show your character traits. You can assume that if someone is a level where you want to approach them, then so will several others, so aim to stand out. When people write I have a GSOH in dating profiles it doesn't mean anything but the person who shows wit in how they word their biography will be more appealing.

Think creatively. This is a creative industry, so it amazes me how people approach so much of it in uncreative ways. Everyone else is sending a lazy cut and paste email? Then send your communication some other way. Show how creative you are by posting them something lovely, show how brave you are by actually picking up the phone and talking to the person you are asking to train you.

Be realistic. Aim not to land a full time job but aim to get your foot in the door. You are highly unlikely to contact someone sitting there with a full time job to give you. Aim instead to get a day or a week's work experience and then make yourself utterly indispensable.

Applications for this year’s Production Apprentice Scheme are now open and close on 20th April.Apply NowApplications are now open The BBC needs talented, creative people with different stories and life experiences to help us create outstanding diverse content for TV, radio and online. It's not about where you are from; it's about where you are going. If you have a passion for the media and enjoy coming up with creative ideas then this is a great opportunity for you. To be a great BBC Production Apprentice you need to have loads of ideas, be organised, practical and helpful and work well in a team. You should want to learn, develop and create and have the ability and keenness to combine work and study. Previous media experience is not essential. We will be looking for people who :

Are passionate about TV, radio and online – and not just traditional broadcast channels

Bring value and experience to the scheme and to the BBC that will help us reflect our audiences better

Don’t already have a qualification above a Level 3 /A levels.

Have the right to live and work in the UK

Be able to live and work in London or Birmingham

Be committed to a career in the Media – this is an entry level scheme and not a gap year activity

Production Apprenticeship (Level 3): As part of a year-long programme you’ll work on a range of productions with the BBC, while studying towards a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media.Curriculum Summary As well as During the scheme you will be trained by our partner college and by the BBC Academy. Key study areas include:

Production end to end

Discovering TV and radio

Industry ethics

Research skills

Storytelling

Copyright

Pitching

Health and safety

Social media

Logging rushes

Functional skills

How to make a taster

How to write a treatment

Media Management

Production paperwork

Shoot and edit

Converging technology

This year we have work placements to offer in

Live programmes e.g. you could be helping set up shoots or look after guests on The One Show or Watchdog

Arts e.g. you could be working on the Film Show, or going out on location with the Culture Show,

Documentaries e.g. you could be working on a broad range of topics from Life on Death Row to BBC Three’s Hair

Entertainment/Events e.g. you could be running on the next series of Strictly Come Dancing or be working on the BBC’s New Year celebrations

History and Business e.g. you could get the chance to help Production on big stand-out series such as The Vikings

Radio 1/1Xtra e.g. you could be coming up with ideas for Charlie Sloth’s programme or creating content for the Radio 1 website

Drama e.g. you could be working at Elstree working on Eastenders or running on Holby City

Comedy e.g. you could be helping create Comedy Shorts for BBC Three or generating content for the Comedy website

Science e.g. you could be working at night on Star Gazing with Brian Cox or the latest ground-breaking Horizon series

Radio 2/6music e.g. you could be working on Chris Evans 500 words competition or running at the latest Music Festivals

The apprenticeship starts in September 2015 and runs for a year. All of the apprenticeships are based in London but this year we are hoping to base one production apprentice in the Drama Village in Birmingham.About the role The BBC Academy is working with a London college to develop best-in-class courses to give apprentices a world-class foundation in Creative and Digital Media. This Level 3 Apprenticeship will give you an excellent practical understanding of the Television and Radio production processes. Following an initial training period you will then work in production on three placements with training at regular intervals between placements. Those that succeed in television have a can-do positive attitude and are prepared to work unpredictable hours. You will have a placement manager who will be responsible for your learning objectives and you will be assessed on each placement. For all the latest news about apprentices and trainee schemes, and tips and hints for your application please follow @BBCTrainees.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION IS OPEN!Each year we offer 300 volunteers the chance to gain first hand experience of life working in the music industry with a variety of roles over the course of The Great Escape. We recruit in many different areas including Venue Representative Assistants, Technical Production Support, Convention Support, Festival Runners, Delegate Registration, Artist Registration, Wristband Exchange, and more…If you would like to apply to volunteer at The Great Escape, please fill in the online form by CLICKING HERETo get the latest information on volunteering at TGE, join our volunteer Facebook page by CLICKING HERE . If you have any queries about volunteering at TGE, you can email volunteer@greatescapefestival.com and one of our team will get back to you.Thanks for your interest! Our amazing volunteers are the reason that The Great Escape continues to grow and is Europe’s leading festival for new music.“I have no words to describe the week I had in Brighton, it felt surreal and timeless. I am happy I decided to give it a go. Thank you for everything, thanks to the TGE team. It was a unique experience that has taught me so much” Hind, Delegate Registration Volunteer.“Thank you to The Great Escape. Thank you for making sure everything went well, it was an awesome experience. The Great Escape will be something to remember and hopefully to renew next year!” Iris, Venue Rep Assistant.“Thanks for a brilliant Great Escape festival, had so much fun. I really enjoyed it and everyone I worked with so thank you! Look forward to next year!” Sophie, Artist Accreditation Volunteer.“Great isn’t a word good enough to describe how I felt“, TGE Volunteer.‘I had wicked time as usual I shall be coming back every year until whenever.’ Stuart, Volunteer Team Leader.

Do you want to be part of the biggest annual mixed arts festival in England?Volunteering with Brighton Festival 2015 is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in developing their skills and knowledge within a busy arts organisation, whilst joining the festivities and helping to make this year's event happen. We are looking for enthusiastic and reliable people who have a keen interest in the arts. Please get in touch at volunteers@brightonfestival.org for more info.We still have many chances for you to get involved with this year’s festival including three exciting high profile outdoor shows. We’re looking for lots of people to be a part of a performance piece to celebrate the end of the festival! To find out more about Fleeting click here, or email fleeting@brightonfestival.org.We are also looking for volunteers to take part Periplum’s 451 and Burn the Curtain’s Company of Wolves performances. Find out more here for 451 and here for Company of Wolves.Please note that all the performances listed take place at outdoors and at night which can be physically demandingTo sign up or find out more information please email your name, mobile telephone number, confirmation you are over 16 years old (or 18yrs + for 451) and any special needs you might have.Contact Natasha Padbury: fleeting@brightonfestival.org or call: 07966 880 290

Volunteering at Brighton Fringe is a great way to gain valuable festival experience, meet new people, develop new skills and help contribute to England’s largest arts festival. Brighton Fringe will require a wide range of volunteers as the festival approaches:Information Hub and Participants Services Assistants:

Brighton Fringe need Information and Participants Services Assistant volunteers to help give out information to the general public, answer general enquiries and assist with participant services. We will have several Brighton Fringe Information hubs located throughout Brighton including our Information hub on New Road, another at Brighton Train Station and our Participant Services hub at the Mesmerist. We will need people on weekdays or weekends to help us fulfil these roles.

Fringe City Volunteer Roles

Fringe City is our outdoor public event with two stages which showcase free performances from Brighton Fringe events; this takes place on New Road Brighton. Fringe City takes place every Saturday in May, and the Brighton Fringe Family Picnic happens in Pavilion Gardens on Sundays 2 and 23 May. We need volunteers every weekend in May to help us produce these events.

Event Stewards:

We will need Fringe City Stewards to help us with the stewarding and general liaison with public or performers who are performing at Fringe City. Stewards may also be asked to help by handing out flyers, brochures or giving out general information. Stewards will be fully briefed and trained before they assist at Fringe City.

Event Assistants:

We will need Event Assistants to help us to set up and take down the Fringe City kit before and after shows, provide assistance to our sound engineers during shows, help keep show times to schedule and liaise between performers and the event management team.

How to get involved!

Go along to a volunteering event at the Mesmerist on Thursday 9 April, 6 - 7pm, to find out more about volunteering at Brighton Fringe. Please RSVP to volunteering@brightonfringe.org and find out more information on Brighton Fringe Facebook event. To find out more, please email: volunteering@brightonfringe.org

Author

This blog is written and maintained by professional Careers Advisors at Elev8careers, in Sussex UK. ﻿﻿﻿We are here to help you by providing tips, opportunities, information and events to support your career journey! We also invite contributions from students, educators and recruiters.﻿﻿﻿